Four Swords: Song of the heroes
by Zelda12343
Summary: Horrible title, I know! Link chooses not to return the Four Sword, as he has grown too attached to his clones. What adventures does that lead to. And how do the heroes begin to understand one another more? Rated T for eventual  not yaoi  romance/
1. Farewell, Shadow

**Author's note: **_there can never be enough non-yaoi stories with Four Swords. And I put it from the perspective of Vio, my favorite clone. Enjoy!

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It had all happened so suddenly. At first, it was just me. As in, just me, Link.

Then I split into my four counterparts. And the journey began.

At first, I just saw them as annoying. Green was like our big, bossy brother. Red was optimistic. So optimistic I wanted to puke. Then there was Blue. He was my least favorite. Always thinking with his muscles, not with his mind. That is what I pride myself on, actually: my mind. I suppose that when we were the same person, I was his intellect. Not meaning to brag or anything, but I _am _smarter than the others. Even they admit it. Which is why I had time to think those dangerous thoughts.

I had time to wonder what embracing my evil side would be like. I had time to wonder if they really appreciated me. I had time to wonder if Green found me aloof, if Red found me cold, if Blue hated me. I most certainly was the most likely of the Links to be thinking those thoughts. I was the most dangerous. In the hands of an enemy, I could be their undoing. I questioned more than the others. I imagined being their downfall more than once. I was more open to evil. But at the same time, I was also so lonely.

I was at the back. I was the one least thought of. Or so I thought. It sure seemed that way. Red and Blue seemed to have a rivalry of sorts. I tried making conversation with Green once, but little followed from that. I thought that they didn't care about me. What did that matter at the time? I didn't like them much either. So senseless. So weak. So useless. I was arrogant. I thought that I alone could take on Gufuu like I wanted to. When we got separated, at first I saw it as a real opportunity.

Then I met him.

At first I was wary. We'd met before. He'd tried to kill us, as a matter of fact. Maybe he'd try to kill me. But instead, he gave me an offer to join the dark side. I saw it as a good opportunity to take a stab at Gufuu, so accepted. I would at least feel welcome there, I thought. Little did I know what my experience with Shadow would give me.

At first, I tried to be nice to him just to get him to trust me. And indeed, he trusted me deeply. At first, the unfeeling creature that I was at the time, I didn't care a bit about how much he obviously cared about me. He saw my stony expression and would continuously ask if I was okay. This in itself was new to me. It made me think about feelings.

As a bit of time passed, I began to feel more. Shadow Link loved me like a brother. I began to feel the same type of love towards him. And I began to see the others, too. Shadow let me look at their progress in the mirror. I began to see. Green called to the rest of us and worried about us. Red got into trouble for his kindness. And Blue was frozen on a mountain peak because of his endless want to be the best. In a way, I saw that we were similar. Thanks to this, combined with Shadow's caring, I began to feel. I began to care for them. I worried about Green, who had somehow wandered into the midst of the Gerudo. I was thankful that Red and Blue reunited, and I even got to meet up with them. I had to pretend to be evil, but I was so glad to see them.

Then, we met up on Death Mountain. I had to pretend to be evil once more. I had to duel Green. However, that day, I learned so much about my friends. Shadow called me his best friend, a distinction that made me practically glow. Green called me a friend, which also made me feel very good. I had thought they didn't care about me. Blue was angry, but begged me to "snap out of it". I didn't know he was capable of wanting me back. And Red touched me the most of my clones. He actually wept. No one had ever wept for me before. I learned that day that people actually cared about me. I was touched to the heartstrings.

Then Shadow found out about my betrayal. I was as crushed that I had lost a friend as he. He attempted to have me executed, but Green, Red, and Blue saved me. I was so happy to see them again, and I no longer saw them as annoyances. Green was bossy, but he just was for the sake of us, for the sake of the princess, for the sake of Hyrule. Red was emotional, but that meant that he had the capacity to care more about us. Blue was angry, but when he directed his anger at our enemies, he was a powerful ally.

Then, Shadow sacrificed himself. My heart nearly came to my throat when I saw Shadow lying on the floor, dying. Green explained to me what had happened later, but at the time, I wouldn't have cared anyway. I knelt by my best friend, shocked that it had to take his life to defeat the forces of darkness. I held his hand as he turned towards the light, leaving forever.

Shadow once told me that he found a language known as French to be beautiful. I remembered a few words (he'd taught me some), and most of all, I remembered goodbye.

_Adieu, _Shadow. I never got to say a proper goodbye to you.


	2. Red notices the changes

I don't know what Green was thinking, but he somehow got us back to the Four Sword Sanctuary with the intention of returning the sword.

We were all a little stunned. We'd just killed Ganon, after all. Ganon, the greatest evil Hyrule has ever known. Ganon, the one who has threatened Princess Zelda more times than I can count. Well, only a handful of the great hero Link's adventures have been added to legend; the rest have been lost in time. All of those times, the hero known as Link has stood against the great evil, sometimes with the assistance of the princess, sometimes without. We're a unique situation, however. Never before has Link had to split himself to fight.

And I had lost a brother…

No. I couldn't think like that. I had to move on with my life. I couldn't just become a cold, unfeeling hunk of rock once again, which I knew would happen if I kept dwelling on sad thoughts. Even as I thought that, I could feel my newfound emotions weakening. I was retreating into my shell once more, trying to save myself the pain of feeling loss for much long.

But I didn't want that. I'd realized that I had friends, and didn't want that to go away with my emotions. The moment that I realized that I did indeed have people who cared about me and when I realized fully that I cared back was the same moment, anyway, connected forever to each other and to Shadow...

"Vio?"

I sat up in bed. It was midnight, 'the witching hour,' as it is known. However, that was a true misnomer. All of the forces of darkness were asleep, too. They couldn't just wander around at night while most other people are asleep, heroes included. They'd miss a valuable chance during the day.

However, it seemed that another was awake. And not just any other. It was Shadow Link.

"What is it, Shadow Link?" I asked. "Is something bothering you?" Indeed, his usual smirk was gone, and he looked rather worried.

"There is something bugging me, Vio," he replied quietly. "Just don't tell Gufuu. You're the last one I trust, anyway. Everyone laughed and told me to go away."

"Why would I tell Gufuu? You're my friend," I tried to smile, but had found it increasingly difficult to play the part of a friend when I was going to betray Shadow anyway.

"Oh, thank goodness I've got someone like you, Vio," the other boy smiled and sat down on the end of the bed.

Too bad I'm betraying you, I thought in reply. Of course I didn't tell him that.

"I'm worried. The heroes are looking for you very thoroughly now. They're all reunited except you," Shadow began. Shock suddenly coursed through me. They were looking for me? I thought that they didn't care! However, I managed to keep my cool.

"Well, Shadow, apparently I'm behind on checking up on them," I said smoothly. Then, however, I noticed Shadow Link's worried expression. "What is it?" I asked him, pretending as though I cared.

"They might fight you," Shadow Link said worriedly.

"Ha! They're afraid of me!" I replied coolly.

"What if they do? They could kill you, Vio!" Shadow Link's voice was rising into hysteria.

"What's so bad about that?" I asked him calmly.

"I'll have lost my best friend, Vio! I'll be all alone again! You're the only one I've ever met who doesn't shrink away from me! No one ever likes the shadow, not even on the evil side. You're the first person to care! I can't lose you, too! "  
I was stunned. He really cared about me that much? He was really that lonely? And I thought I was lonely. It seemed that despite the former, I did have friends. He had none besides me.

"Shadow," I said in the calmest voice that I could muster. "Don't worry about it. If I were really your friend, and if I really were to die, I would want you to move on. So don't think too much about it, okay?"

I realized, for the first time, I'd been speaking to him without deception. I had truly felt what I'd said. That was the first time that that had ever happened.

"Vio, I won't stop being worried, but I'm glad I came and spoke to you," Shadow Link got up off of my bed. "You've been such a great friend."

I watched him leave in wonder. I began to feel as if I was waking up. Or rather, my emotions were. For some reason, the thought that people cared about me was making me feel all warm inside.

I finally saw what a jerk I'd been. I'd been acting cold and aloof, and had wished someone would care about me. How could I have been so blind? The people who cared about me, who were worrying about me right at that moment, who were now possibly risking their lives in looking for me had been right in front of me all this time. They cared about me. I just hadn't cared about them. I began to feel guilty. I began to feel worried. I began to feel a thousand emotions. Or maybe they were but one feeling for my friends that was taking a thousand different forms.

Whatever it was, I still don't know. But suddenly, I realized that I was cared for, and had begun to care back.

A tear formed in my eye as I relived the memory. Shadow had no clue that it would be he who left me alone. I wanted to follow my own advice, but found it too painful to try.

"Vio! What's wrong?" came a voice behind me. I whirled around, realizing that the tear had fallen across my cheek, to face Red. Of course it was Red; the other two were in front of me. He was looking at me in confusion and slight pity.

"N-nothing," I replied, trying to sound cold, something that was so easy for me once.

"Oh, there's something wrong," he stepped forwards. "You're crying."  
"I have something in my eye," I explained calmly. There. That sounded like the old Vio. Too much for my comfort.

"Vio, you've been different since you got back from spying on Gufuu and Shadow Link," Red looked more serious than I had thought was possible for Red. "You've been talking back less, for one."

"Green is less of a tyrant," I replied stubbornly.

"You've been less short with Blue."

"Blue's been too busy prying you off of him constantly to worry about being patronizing towards me."

"You've wiped that smirk that you had earlier off your face. I mean, you still look a lot like Shadow Link, but by the end, neither of you looked so smug and acted so 'I-know-something-that-you-don't-because-I'm-so-much-smarter."

That pulled me up short. I look like Shadow?  
"I look like-"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. You look more like him than you look like any of the rest of us."  
"Really?"  
"Yep. You have the same facial structure. Your body types are the same. Your hair is a different shade than his, but in the same style. And your eyes are so similar that it's creepy!"

"O-our eyes?"

"Yes. The weird thing is that with the rest of us, we can tell if we're a fake. If we had Shadow Link pretending to be one of us, our eyes were those cool, calculating ones that Shadow's got. Besides, they were grey, while everyone else has blue eyes."  
"Go on, please." I was a little bit shaken up. I'd never seen myself in a mirror, and no one had ever told me what I looked like. I automatically assumed that I looked just like Green, Red, and Blue. I mean, each of them had a different shape to their eyes, but otherwise, they looked almost exactly the same. Well, Red was shorter and Green was slightly less muscular than Blue, but otherwise were the same. Each had the same hair color and style (which was slightly different than Shadows, and apparently, mine), same eye color (sky blue), same everything (except aforementioned height and build). And I? It sounded like I was different.

"With you, on the other hand," continued Red, "we can't tell when you're real or fake. You're probably easier to copy than the rest of us, being so similar to Shadow already. However, even with Shadow's similarity, we'd be able to tell you apart if your eyes weren't the same as Shadow's."

I closed my eyes, shocked. I was thinking suddenly of Shadow Link. I looked like him? I had his hairstyle, his body type, his eyes? I was the outlier?

Maybe I was isolated from the others after all.

Tears began to pour from my eyes for the second time that day, not as hard or quickly as Red usually cried, but I was crying all the same. I was different from the others, apparently, and didn't like it at all.

"You really cared about Shadow, didn't you?" Red said quietly. "Like if Blue were to die?"

"Yeah, except Shadow and my relationship isn't-sorry, wasn't-romantic. You said that you loved him yourself!" I smiled slightly through my tears.

"Nah, ours isn't romantic either," Red replied gently. "I mean, I love him, but not in a romantic way. So yes, it's the same. Gah, it's hard to imagine. I'm going to start crying!" Indeed, there was a tear in his eye.

Suddenly, he curled his arms around my trembling form. It was a touching gesture, and I felt the caring behind it. I always knew that Red was capable of deeper emotions than the rest of us. However, I didn't realize that he was so mature behind his emotions. How shallow and blind of me! The more I saw of who I'd been, the more ashamed of myself I became.

When I finished crying, Red smiled at me and grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him as he returned to the others. Though he didn't want them to realize that I'd been crying, he didn't want me to feel excluded either. After all, I'd just how different I really was.

"Don't tell Blue," Red whispered.

"My silence is yours," I replied. I had a sudden feeling that Red and I would become great friends. I mean, no one could replace Shadow for me or Blue for him, but we could at least be close.

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**Author's note**: _A few things. First of all, for fans of my story Four Swords, Four Shadows, part of the inspiration of the story was how similar Vio and Shadow's eyes were in the manga. I was looking at that one day, and then I just imagined "what if they were the same person? (another [spoiler] note here: they won't be the same person permanently)" Then I thought of the bit with Zelda, and then, FSFS was born. I mean, look in the manga! Tell me if I'm imagining things._

_Also in this, Red and Vio are close friends in this, another FSFS tidbit._

_And I'm sorry that this took so long to write!_


	3. Zelda, my beautiful Zelda

**Author's note: **_This won't be as angsty of a chapter. Just a warning.

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Link and Blue were looking at the Four Sword as the two of us pulled apart. Red grinned at me for a few seconds, before his grin suddenly faded to a look of astonishment. He was now staring behind me, then, suddenly, dropped into a kneeling position.

"Princess Zelda!" he cried in shock. I turned around slowly and fell to my knees as well. For there stood the most beautiful girl that I'd ever seen.

I had distant memories, as if from a dream, of her. She'd once been such a little thing! I could see the two of us sitting together in a tree, walking together through a field, playing children's games in the halls of the beautiful Southern Castle, which was her own residence. She used to wear a bow, as big as her head was and bright red, that I'd recognized her by. She always wore pink, a perfect contrast to the bright red bow and her reddish-blonde hair. Her laughter was frequent and musical, and I remember how bright her smile would always be. Were these Green's memories? They had to be. I had no memories of my own save those of the quest. Lucky Green, I realized.

However, now, I could make my own memories of the beautiful princess. For indeed, that was what she was.

Gone was the big, bulky, badly color-coordinated bow. Now, resting on her beautiful, reddish-blonde hair that had lightened with her age was a golden tiara the color of the sun. I could tell that it was pure gold with a single tear-shaped emerald at her forehead. Also gone was the chunky pink dress that she had used to wear. Now, she was wearing a pale pink dress with a small area of blue over her stomach. A bright golden belt with the symbol of the Triforce hanging from a shield-shaped charm hung round her waist. But her face was what got me. It was the sort of face that would cause nations to go to war over: beautiful yet wise. Her deep grey eyes seemed all-knowing, but had a kindness to them as well. All-knowing but all-caring would be how I would describe her later.

But it was her aura that truly floored me. She radiated a feeling of wisdom beyond her years that would keep her enemies thinking. This wasn't the sort of person one wanted to anger. She could probably think of (or have others think for her) of a thousand ways to kill you if you gave her the chance. Yet at the same time, she seemed to be a gentle person. One who wouldn't want to kill you. I could also sense power, power to order your head off or to knight you. Power to contend with that of Gufuu himself. Why had she allowed herself to be kidnapped?

_Because it's her duty…_

Instantly, it hit me why the princess has been kidnapped as much as she has been. What if she's let these things happen? What if it's her duty to let Hyrule to become endangered, so that evil will come out into the open? What if Din, Farore, and Nayru have instructed the princess to let these things happen, so that a hero shall rise and defeat evil for another generation? It's the most logical conclusion that I can think of. Zelda takes on a whole new meaning in my eyes. She's the willing sacrifice. She's the one who puts the needs of the kingdom ahead of her own needs. She's the true heroine of Hyrule.

"Guys, what's going-oh! Princess!" Green cries. She smiles when she sees him for a moment before suddenly flinging herself into his arms with a cry of joy.

"I'm so glad that you're okay!" they say at the same time. Red, Blue and I exchange a look of surprise. So _that _was why I had these memories, why Green worked so hard to save the maidens and the knights, then the princess. He wasn't doing it for Hyrule, he was doing it for his dear friend, Zelda! Red was now smiling, Blue had his mouth slightly open, and I just nodded, then, realizing that I was actually very pleased, I allowed my physical barrier to be broken down and let a smile break onto my face.

After a few minutes of Green and Zelda exchanging hugs, she turned to the three of us, who had all knelt. Instantly, a cooler expression crossed her face, though she was still smiling.

"Rise," she ordered. "You have just saved Hyrule. There will be no need to kneel to royalty from now on." With that, she crossed over to Red. He blushed when she looked at him with her piercing gaze.

"You are Red, are you now?" she asked, offering her hand. "The emotional, cheerful wielder of fire and ice. Pleased to meet you." He shook her hand, looking rather pleased when she smiled.

"And you are Blue!" she declared, going over to Blue, her bright eyes meeting his own blue ones. "Fierce hammer-bearer. Delighted to make your acquaintance."  
"Very formal, Princess," he replied, shaking her hand. "You have a rather strong grip," he noted a minute later. She smiled softly and turned away from him.

"And you," she said finally, walking over to me, "Are Vio." She said nothing more for a moment before finally saying, "Archer who aims only once, because he knows that he won't miss." My heart was now in my throat. Goddesses, she was the most beautiful creature that I'd ever seen. Finally, I realized that she was waiting for an answer.

"True, Zelda. I suppose that I am rather arrogant, but you speak the truth," I managed to say, my voice unfaltering. I realized that I'd said something wrong when Red clapped his hands over his mouth and Blue gasped.

"Vio!" Green cried. "You just referred to her by her first name! No one does that!"

"Hush," Zelda replied, waving a hand at Green. "Be silent. Worry not. I'd rather be called Zelda anyways. That goes for all of you." With that, I finally managed to take her delicate, gloved hand in mine and shake it softly.

"You're different," she noted, only softly enough so that I could hear.

"I know," I replied.

She let go of my hand gently, and I felt my heart throbbing, hoping she wouldn't hear. I'd had a crush on Elne, but I realized that this was totally different. This was true love.

And the way she'd smiled at me…

"Come, heroes," she ordered, her eyes flashing. "You must come with me to the castle." She smiled at all of us equally, but to me, it felt totally different. I knew that I was a goner, wondering if the others felt the same way.

_Heh,Vio's love-struck! _Came a voice inside of my head.

_Shadow? _I thought, incredulous.

_Of course,_ replied the voice. _You need your best friend, if only in your head. And I promise, I'll be here for you as long as you need me._

_Good to know, _I replied mentally.

So Shadow wasn't totally gone. I felt a smile creep onto my face.


End file.
